Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces(IDF) have encircled Gaza City and are operating inside it.

Netanyahu added that there would be no ceasefire without the release of hostages held by Hamas, reaffirming the plan to continue ground operations to eliminate the group’s leaders despite pressure for a pause by the international community.

He also warned the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah against further involvement, saying that joining the war would be the gravest error in judgment.

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a televised address on Tuesday that Israeli troops are in the heart of Gaza City in the war on Hamas, adding they are storming it from all directions in flawless coordination with aerial and maritime support.

Gallant said that while Israel will not rule the Gaza Strip after the war, neither will Hamas, leaving open the door to the possibility of another solution.